The top quotes from the 2018 season: Part 1

There are the best hot shots of the season, and then there are also the backhanded compliments, verbal barbs, potshots and more – gasp, even the compliments – that capture the competitive, oft-fiery passion of tennis. Whether they made you stand up and applaud while watching your TV or led you to boo and hiss as you scrolled through social media, here's Part 1 of the collection of the most memorable quotations from WTA and ATP players' lips in 2018.

1

The introspective Aleksandra Krunic, a first-time WTA titlist this year, delivered an amusing quote for the ages.

2

Eventual tournament champion Naomi Osaka, after beating Maria Sharapova at Indian Wells:

"I feel like everyone to a point should have respect for the other person because it's the best players in the world. I feel like no one wants to cheer for a person that's like slamming their racquet everywhere and stuff. A part of that is having respect for the person and also respect for the game. I've never seen someone get angry and do well except for McEnroe, but I'm not really trying to do that. No offense or anything. I'm just trying to keep it in."

3

Also in that California desert, Serena Williams, after beating Zarina Diyas in her first sanctioned match in 14 months:

4

Saschia Vickery, in the wake of upending Garbine Muguruza in Indian Wells:

"That was definitely Wakanda Forever. I'm so obsessed with the movie. It's taking over my life. I have seen it four times already. Literally, I'm obsessed. I have watched it twice here. I may just keep watching it because it's been working out well for me."

5

Novak Djokovic, after losing to qualifier Taro Daniel in his opening 2018 Indian Wells match: "Very weird; I just completely lost rhythm. For me it felt like the first match I ever played on the tour."

6

Petra Kvitova had a take on how she perhaps tries harder when a title is on the line:

7

Osaka again, as is her wont, and this time on the idea of being a role model:

"If there’s anyone that looks up to me, I’m sorry. I’ll try to do better so that they can have something to look up to. But the me right now is a little bit immature and I don’t really know what I’m doing. I’m sort of thinking of this as a process and if you look up to me right now I hope you wait so I can mature a bit."

8

Daria Kasatkina, on sharing a private jet to Miami with Osaka, who had just vanquished her in the Indian Wells final:

9

Thanasi Kokkinakis after beating Roger Federer in Miami's second round:

"I feel like a bit of a veteran in some ways," he said. "I'm 21, but I feel a lot older. I don't know if that's a good thing, probably a bad thing. I definitely feel like I'm in my late 30s, at least."

10

Who else? Osaka, upon defeating childhood idol Serena in Miami:

"Sometimes she plays matches where she doesn’t say 'Come on' at all. And that’s a little bit sad, because it’s like, 'Do you think she’s trying?' I just wanted her to say 'Come on' once because then I knew maybe she would be trying a little bit. So once I heard the first 'Come on,' I was like, 'Yeah!'"

11

A self-deprecating Maria Sharapova in Madrid upon snapping her four-match losing streak:

12

Rafael Nadal, on losing to Dominic Thiem in Madrid, where the Austrian snapped his 50-set winning streak on clay:

13

Alexander Zverev showed some self-awareness in words shared with his fitness trainer:

14

Sharapova, often verbally slighted in the past year by her French peer, had classy words about on Kristina Mladenovic's losing-streak struggles:

Stay tuned for Part 2.

Now the proverbial ball is in your court, tennis fans: Who delivered your No. 1 quote of 2018 in professional tennis? Share away on Twitter, tagging @Tennis and/or @jonscott9.